Puig goes after Strop after getting hit by a pitch, a breakdown
What Happened
In the bottom of the eighth inning of a game between the Chicago Cubs and the Cincinnati Reds, outfielder Yasiel Puig of the Reds steps to the plate with a runner on second base and two outs. The Cubs pitcher, Pedro Strop, appears to be pitching around Puig, throwing two balls to start the at-bat. Puig takes exception to Strop's apparent strategy of not challenging him, gesturing and voicing his displeasure to the Cubs catcher. The exchange grows heated, with Puig accusing Strop of being a "chicken" and refusing to pitch to him. Strop then hits Puig with a pitch, prompting an immediate reaction from the Reds outfielder. Puig charges towards Strop, shouting expletives and challenging him. Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo quickly intervenes, trying to hold Puig back, but Reds veteran Joey Votto steps in to pull Puig away from the confrontation. The benches and bullpens clear as the teams converge on the mound, but the situation is ultimately diffused without any major physical altercation. Throughout the exchange, Puig can be seen repeatedly calling Strop a "bitch" and daring him to come closer. Strop appears shaken by Puig's aggressive response, with his coaches trying to calm him down and keep him away from the Reds outfielder. The incident highlights the intensity and emotion that can arise during a heated in-game rivalry between two competitive teams fighting for a playoff spot. Despite the theatrics, the game continues with the Cubs leading the Reds by a narrow one-run margin in the late innings. The animosity between the two players and the potential for further retaliation will likely add an extra layer of drama and intrigue to the remainder of the series between these NL Central foes.
Full Transcript
Click timestamps to jump to that momentall right bottom eighth of this game
between the Cubs and the Reds Puig is
coming up runner on second this one's
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two outs runner on second first base
open so they're gonna pitch around Puig
right here first pitch is a ball next
pitch is also a ball - oh now does he
get a fastball it's a fastball count he
gets some junk in the dirt twigs like
come on man you're not pitching to me oh
I get it you're a [ __ ] you're not gonna
pitch to me alright well it puts on a
whole display so the whole stadium knows
what's going on Cubs catcher doesn't
like it looks at him looks at him again
you're making a scene shakes his head
Puig is making a scene gets back in
there gives the sign like yeah let's
just hit this [ __ ] strokes like
yeah I think you're right look at him
please like I know you're not gonna give
me anything to hit because you're
pitching around me because you're scared
of my bat so I'm just gonna put it on my
shoulder and take this pitch and strop
says okay well I'll just hit you then
and now Puig is gonna call him a [ __ ]
or [ __ ] I can't read lips stroke comes
out strong like he wants to argue with
them and then it gets serious and
strokes like teammates teammates okay
thank you very much thank you very much
Rizzo gets Puig pushes him back
eventually Votto is gonna take queeg
away from Rizzo and drag him away him in
as that winkler I don't know that is not
Winkler oh the bullpen gets their
calisthenics in they're gonna get a
little nice jog wait for us wait for us
wait for us wait for us okay we're here
oh it's over [ __ ] that always happens
now please just calling them a [ __ ] and
[ __ ] like yeah okay yeah [ __ ] you man
come over here [ __ ] like no no no you
stay over there yeah [ __ ] you you're a
[ __ ] come here come here come over here
nope you stay over there you stay over
there used to contreras thanks for fake
holding me back I have no interest in
going any farther than you stay over
there okay stay over there cool
yeah you're a [ __ ] man yeah cool stay
over there keep talking but stay away
from because I'm kind of scared right
now
Roberto bro all right I know that might
have been offensive offensive but look
how fast tweets lips move here no idea
that's crazy
stroke a little shook guys I mean I had
no dog in this fight but stroke got
shook and his coaches know they're like
calm down it's okay it's okay
we kept him away from you we captain
with you Puig this is a day in the park
this is his life